Drain for boats



Aug. 14, 1962 G. J. CURTIS DRAIN FOR BOATS Filed Oct. 31, 1960 66/0/0 MCarf/J IN V EN TOR.

atent Ufihce 3,.h49fi88 Patented Aug. 14, 162

3,049,088 DRAIN FOR BOATS Gerald J. Curtis, 8806 Glen Loch, Houston,Tex. Filed Get. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 66,231 4 Claims. (Cl. 114-197) Thisinvention relates to a device for draining water out of boats, and moreparticularly to a drain plug and valve device adapted to be inserted inthe drain opening of a boat, and which operates automatically to permitthe outflow of water from the boat and to prevent the inflow of waterthrough the drain opening.

The invention has for an important object the provision of admin forboats which is operated by the suction or radtiction in pressure whichtakes place in the water rearwardly of the stern of the boat due toforward movement of the boat in the water to cause an outflow of waterfrom the boat, and which is also constructed to prevent any inflow ofwater into the boat through the drain.

Another object of the invention is to provide a boat drain device, whichis formed in one piece of resilient material and which is designed to beeasily installed in the drain opening of a boat in a manner to close theopening against any inflow of water therethrough but which allows waterto flow out of the boat through the device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a drain device ofthe character mentioned adapted for insertion through a drain opening ina boat and which is constructed to be used in drain openings of widelydifferent sizes and on boats having diiferent wall or transom thickness.

Another object of the invention is to provide :a boat drain formed offlexible, resilient and stretchable material having a tubular portionwhich is inset-table through a drain opening in a boat and externallyenlarged annular portions on the tubular portion which are positionedfor sealing engagement with the inner and outer surfaces of the boatsurrounding the drain opening to securely close the opening against theleakage of Water through the opening externally of the tubular portion.

A further object of the invention is the provision in a boat drain ofthe type mentioned of closure means which is insertable in the tubularportion of the device to close the same and including means on theclosure and tubular portion positioned for coaction to resist removal ofthe closure therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a boat drain device whichis of simple and rugged construction, economical to manufacture, easy toinstall and which is effective in operation to exclude the inflow ofwater into the boat from the exterior while functioning readily to allowwater to dnain out of the boat.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the inventionmay best be understood from the following detailed description,constituting a specification of the same, when considered in conjunctionwith the annexed drawings, wherein- FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sideelevational view, partly broken away and partly in cross-sectionillustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and showing thesame in its operative position extending through a drain opening in aboat;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device of the invention, :as shown inFIGURE I, removed from the boat;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view, on an enlarged scale,of the rear end portion of the device of the invention showing detailsof structure of the same; and

FIGURE 4 is a rear end view of the device as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the invention isillustrated herein in connection with its use on a boat having a wallportion W, through which a drain opening 0 is provided for the purposeof drawing water out of the boat. Such opening is customarily located inthe transom of the boat at or close to the bottom of the boat or in thebottom of the boat so that the water will be substantially completelydrained out of the boat, due to the suction created by forward movementof the boat. Various means are customarily provided for preventing the'backflow of water into the boat through such drain openings, such asstoppers, check valves, or the like, which are subject to leakage oraccidental removal, and it is for the purpose of overcoming suchdifliculties that the present invention has been developed.

The drain device of the invention comprises a gen erally tubular bodyformed of tough, elastic stretchable material, such :as rubber, or thelike, having a portion 10 of cylindrical shape in cross-section, whichis adapted to be inserted through the opening 0, and formed withlongitudinally spaced, externally enlarged, annular portions 12 and 14,which are tapered to provide converging faces 16 and 18, respectively,positioned for engagement with the Wall W about the inner and outer endportions of the opening 0 to close the opening against the leakage ofWater past the body externally thereof.

The body has a flattened portion or tail 20, extending from one end ofthe cylindrical portion 10, formed with thin flexible walls 22 and 24,which are spaced apart throughout the major portion of their lengths andwhich are in contact throughout the outer end portion of the body asindicated at 26.

Each of the walls 22 and 24 is formed with a hollow, tapered, externalrib 28, extending outwardly from the externally enlarged portion 14 andshaped to somewhat rigidify the wall and to yieldingly resist movementof the spaced apart portions of the walls into contact with each other.

The externally enlarged portion 12 of the body is provided with aninternal annular groove 30, positioned to receive an external annularrib 32 formed on a stopper 34, when the stopped is inserted in the bodyto close the body. The rib 32 is engageable in the groove 30 to securelyhold the stopper in the body against accidental removal. The stopper 34is attached to the body by means of a flexible strip 36 to hold thestopper in a convenient location for insertion into the body when it isdesired to closethe drain device.

The entire drain device of the invention may conveniently be formed bymolding in one piece of suitable resilient and stretchable material,such as rubber, or the like, so that it will be adapted for use withboats having widely differing wall or transom thicknesses and in whichthe drain opening 0 may vary substantially in diameter.

In installing the device in the boat, the body may be foldedlongitudinally and inserted through the opening 0, whereupon thecylindrical portion 10 may be pulled into position in the opening withthe externally enlarged portions 12 and 14 located beyond the ends ofthe opening and the tapering faces 16 and 18 in sealing engagement withthe wall W at the ends of the opening, the stopper end 12 of the devicebeing positioned in the boat and the tail portion 20 extendingrearwardly therefrom outside of the boat. With the drain device thusinstalled, suction caused by forward movement of the boat will tend todraw water from the boat through the cylindrical portion and tail of thebody, such outflow of water resulting in separation of the wall portions22 and 24 at the outermost end portion 26 of the device. Upon cessationof the forward movement of the boat, however, the pressure of the wateron the external surface of the tail portion 20 will force together thewall portions 22 and 24 at the outermost portion 26 to close the deviceagainst the inflow of water therethrough into the boat. The outermostportion 26 of the device will ordinarily be closed, but due to theseparation of the wall portions 22 and 24 forwardly of the portion 26,due to the rigidifying, hollow ribs 28, any tendency for Water to flowoutwardly through the device will easily open the portion 26 to permitsuch outflow.

The drain device may be manufactured by molding the same of elastic,resilient material, using an inner core shaped to form the cylindricalportion 10, ribs 28 and spaced apart wall portions 22 and 24, the corebeing very thin between the wall portions 22 and 24 in the end portion26. After the device has been removed from the mold and the corewithdrawn, the edge portions of the tail portion 26 may be slitted orremoved and the wall portions 22 and 24 pressed together throughout thelength of the portion 26 and vulcanized or other-wise joined along theiredges as indicated at 38, so that the device will be closed against theflow of fluid therethrough through the portion 26. By so forming thedrain device of the invention, the device will be normally closedagainst inflow of water into the boat, but will readily open to permitoutflow therethrough.

In the event that the drain device should be damaged or leak, or when itis desired to leave the boat afloat for long periods, the stopper 34 maybe inserted to assure that there will be no accidental inflow of water.

It will thus be seen that the invention, constructed and installed asdescribed above, provides a boat drain device which is of simple designand rugged construction, which is affective to allow outflow of waterfrom the boat while preventing inflow and which is capable ofapplication to boats having widely differing wall thicknesses andvarious drain opening diameters.

The invention is disclosed herein in connection with a certain specificembodiment of the same, but it will be understood that this is intendedby way of example only, and that various changes can be made in thestructure of the device within the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimedas new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a boat drain atubular body shaped to be extended through and outwardly beyond a drainopening in a boat and having externally enlarged portions positioned forengagement with the boat at the inner and outer ends of the opening toclose the opening against the fiow of fluid therethrough exterally ofthe body, Said body having spaced apart wall portions formed of flexiblematerial located outwardly beyond the opening and formed with body alsohaving wall portions located outwardly beyond external longitudinallyoutwardly tapering ribs, said body also having wall portions locatedoutwardly beyond said spaced apart wall portions whose inner faces arein contact to close the body against the inflow of fluid therethroughand movable apart to open the body under the influence of the pressureof fluid in the body when said pressure exceeds the pressure of fluid onsaid wall portions externally of the body.

2. In a boat drain a tubular body shaped to be extended through andoutwardly beyond a drain opening in a boat and having externallyenlarged portions positioned for engagement with the boat at the innerand outer ends of the opening to close the opening against the flow offluid therethrough externally of the body, said body having spaced apartwall portions formed of flexible material located outwardly beyond theopening and formed with external, longitudinally extending, hollow ribs,said body also having wall portions located outwardly beyond said spacedapart wall portions positioned for coaction to close the body againstthe inflow of fluid therethrough and to be moved apart to open the bodyunder the influence of the pressure of'fluid in the body when thepressure of fluid on said wall portionsexternally of the body fallsbelow the pressure of fluid in the body.

3. In a boat drain a tubular body formed in one piece of elasticmaterial shaped to be extended through a drain opening in a boat insealing contact with the boat in the opening to close the openingagainst the flow of fluid therethrough externally of the body, said bodyhaving wall portions located outwardly beyond the outer end of theopening positioned for coaction to close the body when the pressure offluid externally of the body on said wall portions exceeds the pressureof fluid in the body, each of said wall portions being formed with anexternal longitudinally extending, hollow rib, whose interior is incommunication with the interior of the body.

4. In a boat drain a tubular body formed in one piece of elasticmaterial shaped to be extended through a drain opening in a boat andhaving externally enlarged portions positioned for engagement with theboat at the ends of the opening to close the opening against the flow offluid therethrough externally of the body, said body having oppositelydisposed flat wall portions located outside of the boat positioned to beheld in contact to close the body under the influence of the pressure offluid outside of the boat on the exterior of said wall portions whensuch pressure exceeds the pressure of the fluid inside of the body onsaid wall portions, and means formed integrally with the body and shapedto be removably inserted in the body to close the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

